FROGS OF SOUTHEASTERN BRAZIL — COCHRAN 103 



forearm are crossbanded mth sepia, the heel and outside of the tarsus 

 are seal bro\vn, and the loiee has a dark patch. The tliroat, chin, 

 belly, and anal region are wax yellow. 



Variations. — The maximum size is not great, USNM 96354 measur- 

 ing 26 mm. in head and body length, while several other individuals 

 equal but do not exceed it. The heel appears to extend a trifle 

 beyond the end of the snout in USNM 97561, Mdiile in some of the 

 other examples it scarcely reaches beyond the anterior corner of the 

 eye. The color pattern within certain definite limits is subject to 

 great variation — the dorsal pattern of dark triangles and chevrons 

 may be greatly increased and elaborated, or it may be completely 

 lacking. The alveolar pattern on the upper lip and side of head is 

 invariably present when the specimens are not too badly bleached, 

 while the dark caps on knee and heel and the dark stripe along the 

 outer borders of the foot are present on all but a few of the palest 

 examples. 



A relatively slight degree of variation exists in the critical propor- 

 tions of the 54 specimens measured. A variation of only 10 percent 

 in the femur and tibia proportions is unusual. 



In analyzing the color pattern, it was found that 6 females and 3 

 males (out of 13 females and 38 males) lacked a dorsal pattern. In 6 

 males it was faint or small, while in the remainder of the specimens of 

 both sexes the dorsal pattern was very apparent, consisting of a cross- 

 bar or W-shaped or V-shaped mark between the eyes, foUov/ed by a 

 large triangular or irregular dark mark behind the shoulders, its lower 

 edges often prolonged to encircle a light area on the sacrmn. The 

 areolated pattern on the upper lip is always present, being usually 

 visible even in bleached examples, and it constitutes the best single 

 character for recognizing this very distinct species. The femur is 

 immaculate, usually colorless in alcohol, but vivid orange or yellow 

 in life. 



Remarks. — This species is very common at Manguinhos, near the 

 city of Rio de Janeiro. The call is a high, frequently repeated 

 tit-tit-tit-tit. When many sing together, the chorus is very loud and 

 can be heard at a distance of one Idlometer. 



The adults are found by day in palms and other lofty trees in open 

 fields but at night they come down to pools of stilJ water. Eggs laid 

 in the laboratory of the Instituto Oswaldo Cruz required a month to 

 metamorphose. In nature, the eggs and tadpoles occur in stagnant, 

 quiet water. 



Most of the small species of Hyla, and especially this one, have 

 transparent skins, so transparent on the legs that the red color of 

 flesh is visible. 



